SA child sex inquiry to get extra powers

Royal commission powers have been given to a retired judge investigating a child-sex abuse case at an Adelaide primary school that was kept secret from parents for almost two years.

Retired Supreme Court judge Bruce Debelle, who began the inquiry in November, last week asked South Australian Attorney-General John Rau for the extra powers so he could compel people to give evidence.

Speaking after cabinet met on Monday, Mr Rau and Education Minister Grace Portolesi told reporters that Mr Debelle requested the powers in order to complete his investigation effectively.

As well as now being able to compel people to give evidence, Mr Debelle will be able to give a witness the same protection and immunity as a witness has in proceedings before the Supreme Court.

Ms Portolesi said she had not been asked to give evidence.

Mr Rau said he did not believe Premier Jay Weatherill had been asked, but "whether he is to be part of the inquiry would be up to Mr Debelle".

Mr Weatherill was education minister when a worker at the primary school was arrested in 2010.

Mr Weatherill has said while his chief of staff at the time was informed of the case by email, he was never told about it.

The case involved out-of-school-hours care director Mark Christopher Harvey, who was jailed earlier this year for having unlawful sexual intercourse with a young girl.

Mr Rau said the terms of reference for the investigation will not change, neither will the timing or the scope.

In his letter to Mr Rau, Mr Debelle said public servants - police officers and officers from the Department for Education and Child Development - had co-operated with the inquiry.

But he now had to interview persons "from at least three groups in the community" who, unlike public servants, cannot be directed to give evidence.

"I have real concerns that some of them will refuse to co-operate," he wrote.

"In fact, there is one person from whom I have requested information who has refused to provide information."

Mr Debelle said he also wanted to interview parents with an interest in the assault, noting some of them had already asked whether he could ensure their evidence remained confidential.

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